CCPA fines Ola Rs 10 lakh for misleading pre-ride tip feature
The regulator termed the pre-ride payment prompt a dark pattern and an unfair trade practice.
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) on Friday imposed a fine of Rs 10 lakh on ANI Technologies Private Limited, the operator of Ola, for its pre-ride tip feature. According to The Times of India, the regulator described the practice as a dark pattern and an unfair trade practice that misled customers.
The authority, led by Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare and Commissioner Anupam Mishra, directed the company to immediately stop requesting extra payments before rides are confirmed. The CCPA noted that while Ola renamed the tip as an 'add-on', the underlying practice remained the same.
The regulator found that the app's interface suggested that providing extra money could help a user secure a ride more quickly. However, Ola's own booking data from June 1-15, 2026, showed that ride requests with an add-on had lower acceptance rates in Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai compared to bookings without one.
The CCPA identified the practice as 'Confirm Shaming', which creates guilt or fear in consumers for refusing extra payments. It also noted that suggested amounts rose from Rs 10-40 in May 2025 to as much as Rs 140, with the interface allowing payments up to Rs 499.
The authority has also initiated suo motu proceedings against other aggregators. It has already penalised Rapido Rs 10 lakh, while investigations into Uber and Namma Yatri are currently ongoing.